(Long Island, N.Y.) This week I had the option to review “Bridesmaids,” but given the description of it as being the “female version of The Hangover,” I instead opted
for something that I thought would be a tad more highbrow; in this case, “The Conspirator.” Hey, now I love trashy cinema as much as the next guy, but a courtroom period drama about the Abraham Lincoln assassination just seemed to be more what I was in the mood for. And that cast! Robin Wright (Jenn-nay from Forest Gump), James McAvoy (Professor X in the upcoming X-Men: First Class), Kevin Kline (wow, haven’t seen him in anything in a while), Colm Meaney (Transporter Chief O’Brien!), Evan Rachel Wood (didn’t she play Mickey Rourke’s daughter in The Wrestler? Yup, she did), and on and on…not to mention that the film itself is directed by ol’ Robert Redford himself.
However, the end result, while engaging, is nonetheless somewhat plodding and slow in parts. Bear in mind, this is in no way the fault of the actors…rather, I suspect that the culprit is, in fact, whoever Redford chose to cut this thing once filming was complete. A few snippets and delicate tweaks here and there in the editing room would have made all the difference in making The Conspirator a true classic, as opposed to a curious footnote that will possibly be forgotten in due time.
Okay, so we all know who honest Abe Lincoln was, right? I don’t have to get into a history lesson for anyone, do I? No? Good. Anyway, the Civil War has just ended, and Abe’s off to enjoy a relaxing evening at the theater…that is, until a rotten guy named John Wilkes Booth plugs him in the noggin from behind in the name of the vanquished South. However, this isn’t Lincoln’s story, or even Booth’s…as the tagline for The Conspirator goes, “One bullet killed the president. But not one man.” Yup, there was a conspiracy afoot, so let the witch hunt begin!
Soon, several people are arrested and charged with conspiring to kill the President. The lone woman charged, Mary Surratt (Robin Wright), had the misfortune of merely owning a boarding house where the real conspirators lived (including her son), but in the government’s zeal to root out and punish those responsible for Lincoln’s murder in the most public manner possible, she is made the scapegoat of the case based on, at best, circumstantial evidence. Also, she is tried in Military court, something previously unheard of for a civilian. Things are looking grim for Ms. Surratt, that’s for sure.
Enter newbie lawyer Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy), a Union war-hero turned shyster. Aiken (no relation to
Clay…maybe) reluctantly agrees to defend Surratt after being basically forced by his boss to take the case, who reasoned that the woman would have a better chance against the highly, highly, HIGHLY biased military tribunal if defended by a highly decorated Northern solider. However, as the facts of the case slowly start to come to light, Aiken’s hostile stance on his client starts to soften…is it possible that she’s NOT guilty? But even if she is, how can Aiken prove otherwise when everyone in power wants her swinging from the end of a rope?
Sounds like a great movie, huh? Well, in many ways, The Conspirator is just that: it has great performances from a great cast, a beautifully and painstakingly post-Civil War era re-created in every detail, and a compelling plot-line. But, in this case, the overall movie is LESS than the sum of its parts, mostly due to scenes that are drawn out, a plot that, while compelling, is often prone to meandering and losing its focus, and, despite this film being a courtroom drama, I found there to be very little of it actually set in the courtroom, which was a letdown, as I love that stuff.
Despite my complaints, The Conspirator is still a solid offering, albeit a slightly disappointing one. It bums me out to have
to say that, in the hands of an editor that had a better grasp of things like pacing and plot cohesion this would have been a far superior movie instead of just the average one that made it to theaters. Oh well.
